Op-ed: 
Screwed By the Senate Yet Again
By: Diane Sori

“It allows Republicans to show they are committed to ending Obama’s amnesty once and for all in the next Congress. If we agree it is indeed unconstitutional, we have no business funding it when the GOP controls Congress.”
- Senator Ted Cruz (TX.) before the vote on the 'CRomnibus' spending bill

Ted Cruz (along with Mike Lee) tried...he really did...but the Senate rejected his Constitutional proxy 'Point of Order' on Obama's immigration executive action when he directly targeted the funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Rightfully using the spending bill as leverage to try and stop the implementation of Obama's executive ordered immigration reform, Cruz tried to defy RINO party leaders and their hanger-ons who cut deals with Obama and Reid to try and assure smooth passage of the $1.1 trillion spending bill. So in an attempt to force a Senate vote on said action as a condition for approving this disastrous bill, Cruz presented the argument that the bill violated the Constitution (and it surely does) because it would fund Obama’s plan as it rewrites current on-the-books immigration laws without any say whatsoever from Congress. And Cruz made sure he presented this to the Senate chamber in such a way that it was in keeping with long-standing Senate practices.

"If you believe President Obama's amnesty is unconstitutional, vote yes...if you believe Obama's amnesty is consistent with the Constitution, then vote no." Cruz had said in his trying to get his fellow Republicans to understand the severity of what they were voting on.

And yet the Senate rejected Cruz's arguments for NO other reason than the Senate is still controlled by the Democrats and a large number of turncoat RINOS until...and it can't come soon enough...January 6th when the 114th Congress is sworn in at noon.

Had the Senate sided with Cruz, this "mess of a bill" as he called it, would have been sent back to the House to have an amendment added to it that would have stopped the funding for Obama's unilateral immigration reform. But by a vote 22-74 against Cruz...and with less than half of the Senate’s 45 Republicans voting with him*...this still Harry Reid led Senate proved once again to be deaf to the wishes of 'We the People'...wishes that we shouted loud and clear back on November 4th.

And for those Republicans that voted against him...those like Sen. Bob Corker from Tennessee who had the audacity to call what Cruz did “irresponsible”...RINO extraordinaire Sen. Lindsey Graham from South Carolina who blamed Cruz's actions for causing the garnering of less votes than it would have gotten without him butting in... and Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah who said Cruz's antics irritated a lot of people... it will be remembered by true Conservatives next time they are up for re-election. And just know that payback will once again...as it was just some six or so weeks ago...be a b*tch.

And with that, the 1,603-page $1.1 trillion spending bill...reminiscent in length of the nightmare ObamaCare bill isn't it...and the last major piece of legislation for this year...was passed by the Senate late Saturday night thus avoiding another possible government shutdown. But I say they should have shut the whole damn Obama government down, especially since essential services by law would continue to be funded. And as an added bonus by shutting the government down Obama could go play golf and thus do NO more harm to this country while he was doing so.

In a vote of 56 to 40** the so-called 'CRomnibus' bill (the combined continuing resolution and omnibus funding bill) will now provide funding for NOT only the dreaded ObamaCare, but for most government departments and agencies through fiscal year September 2015, that is except for the Department of Homeland Security which will only be funded through the end of February. And the Republicans say they intend to use the time between now and then to try and find ways to defund and halt Obama's easing of deportation rules...ain't going to hold my breath for that one...but with the new Republican controlled Congress being seated come January there is a possibility...albeit a remote one...that they can pull it off...that is if the party unites and stops all the in-fighting.

But this very in-fighting between the RINOS versus the Conservatives and TEA Party Republicans...in-fighting NOT of Cruz's doing in my opinion...has now afforded 'Prince' Harry Reid the opportunity to move ahead next week...before this lame-duck Congress goes on Christmas break...with the 24 Obama nominees who most likely would NOT have been approved come the new Congress...nominees like 13 district court judges, 11 nominees to administration posts including customs enforcement officials and Carolyn Colvin to head the Social Security Administration along with the ubber liberal Vivek Murphy for Surgeon General.

Just a bit more of anything but happiness thanks to the RINOS who would NOT support Cruz.

But what was even more surprising about this final vote is that six Democrats actually sided with the Republicans against passage but NOT because they saw Obama's actions as wrong but because of two provisions in specific that they did NOT like...one a provision that weakens the Dodd-Frank Act's restrictions on banks that allows the banks to back their bets with taxpayer-backed insurance, and the other a provision that allows for an increase in the amounts that wealthy donors can give to major political parties. In fact, some Democrats claimed that these two provisions would have allowed already wealthy Wall Street employees to earn even more money, which they believe Republicans in turn would use to 'reward,' if you will, those who backed the spending deal.

Accusing the Republicans of kick-backs now aren't they.

But NO matter who voted which way, the bottom line is that 'We the People' are screwed and stuck with a monstrosity of a spending bill. And while the bill as passed does block funding of the 'risk corridors' (insurer's cost projections that in reality could cause individual plans to end up costing more than the insurers projections) that under ObamaCare could lead to a government bailout of the insurance companies at a huge cost to the American taxpayer, and does cut a bit more funding to the EPA to a tune of $60 million as well as prohibiting the IRA from targeting conservative organizations because of the way they chose to exercise their First Amendment rights, this 'CRomnibus' bill very unwisely caps spending for all-important national defense at $521 billion...very dangerous in this ever-expanding violent day and age of the islamic terrorist.

So as this sitting Congress soon retires for the holidays and as a new Congress gets ready to be seated, at least we start 2015 knowing we NO longer will have to deal with 'Prince' Harry Reid blocking every bill that originates with Republicans. But sadly, we also know that at least for now, work visas are still on the horizon for at least five million Obama-made legal ILLEGALS and all because the RINOS amongst us did NOT get that Ted Cruz was right...once again.
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* Republicans voting with Cruz were Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.), John Boozman (Ark.), Richard Burr (N.C.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hoeven (N.D.), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Mike Lee (Utah), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Rob Portman (Ohio), James Risch (Idaho), Pat Roberts (Kan.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Tim Scott (S.C.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), Richard Shelby (Ala.), Jon Thune (S.D.) and David Vitter (La.).

** Democrats who voted against the 'CRomnibus' spending bill: Sherrod Brown (OH.), Al Franken (MN.), Joe Manchin (WV.), Claire McCaskill (MO.), Bernie Sanders (VT.), Elizabeth Warren (MA.). Republicans who voted against the 'CRomnibus' spending bill: Mike Crapo (Idaho), Ted Cruz (TX.), Dean Heller (NV.), Mike Lee (Utah), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Rand Paul (KY.), Rob Portman (OH.), James Risch (WI.), Marco Rubio (FL.), Tim Scott (S.C.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), Richard Shelby (Ala.), David Vitter (LA.).

“Cromnibus” Spending Bill Is a Victory and a Defeat

Daniel J. Mitchell / Townhall Columnist

 

So what should libertarians, Reagan conservatives, and other advocates of smaller government think of the “cromnibus” spending bill?

The answer depends on your benchmark. If you dislike insider deals, pork-barrel spending, and you think the federal government should be limited to the enumerated powers put in the Constitution by our Founding Fathers, then the cromnibus is an abomination.

But if you look at where we are right now and you think victory is achieved whenever we can shrink the burden of government spending and limit Washington’s power over the nation, then the cromnibus is a victory.

So is the glass half full or half empty?

Let’s start by looking at the optimistic case, which is ably summarized in what Peter Roff wrote for U.S. News and World Report.

…the “cromnibus” legislative vehicle to fund most of the federal government through September 30, 2015 is a major victory for the conservatives…the combined continuing resolution and omnibus funding bill [hence the term “cromnibus”] maintains the Ryan-Murray spending caps of $521 billion for defense and $492 billion for non-defense spending. …It blocks funding of the risk corridors that, under the Affordable Care Act, could lead to a government bailout of the insurance companies…while cutting the funds for the Independent Payment Advisory Board (which is the body that would be recommending any rationing of health care) by $10 million. The bill also cuts funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by $60 million, which is the fifth consecutive year the agency’s budget has been cut and may finally convince the bureaucrats who run the place they cannot go beyond what they are legally authorized to do without congressional approval. And it hits the Internal Revenue Service particularly hard, cutting its allocation of federal dollars by $345.6 million, prohibiting it from targeting organizations because of the way they chose to exercise their First Amendment rights or on an ideological basis… There’s more, but the general drift of the thing is toward smaller, leaner, more transparent, more honest government than has been the case over the last six years.

A Republican Alternative to Obamacare

John C. Goodman / Townhall Columnist

 

Now that Republicans will control both houses of Congress, they will have an opportunity to deal with Obamacare. What should be done?

They can begin by repealing the worst features of Obamacare. They can do that by keeping three promises many of them made to voters during the last election: Keep your job; keep your health insurance; and keep your doctor.

The most direct way to get rid of all the anti-job provisions of ObamaCare is to repeal the employer mandate. The most direct way to insure that people can keep insurance they like is to repeal the individual mandate. And the most direct way of insuring people can keep their doctor is to deregulate and denationalize the health insurance exchanges.

Then Republicans can move on to real reform of the health care system. There are seven principles that should be adhered to.

Choice. People should be free to choose a health plan that fits individual and family needs, rather than one designed by bureaucrats in Washington. Men shouldn’t have to buy maternity coverage; women shouldn’t have to buy coverage for prostate cancer tests; teetotalers shouldn’t have to buy substance abuse insurance, and so on. And no one should have to buy coverage for preventive procedures that health researchers have known for years are not cost-effective.

Fairness. If government subsidizes health insurance through refundable tax credits, the credit should be the same for everyone at the same income level. Moreover, I believe a strong case can be made that everyone, regardless of income, should get the same tax credit. For example, we could offer every adult an annual tax credit worth $2,500 and every child a credit worth $1,500. People would get this subsidy so long as they obtained credible private health insurance, no matter where they obtained it—at work, in the marketplace, or in an Obamacare exchange.

“Palestinians” Prefer Israeli Jails to Life Under Hamas
Pamela Geller / Atlas Shrugs

Preferring humanity to savagery. It is not surprising that some “Palestinians” would get tired of the endless and relentless hatred, violence, and insanity that surrounds them, and prefer even prison to it — prison, that is, in a civilized country.

“Palestinians Flee Hamas, Ask Israel to Imprison Them,” by Khaled Abu Toameh, Gatestone Institute, December 12, 2014 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

“I’m sad that I’m back in the Gaza Strip. I went through happy times [in Israeli detention], where I had food, calm, good work, although I did not receive a salary. Those were unforgettable days where I had delicious food that we don’t have in the Gaza Strip.” — Rabi, 16, who crossed...

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Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

FBI, DHS issue bulletin for law enforcement warning of lone wolf domestic terrorism

By Robert Spencer / Jihad Watch

 

This bulletin seems a bit tardy, as there has already been lone wolf domestic terrorism recently — the axe-wielding jihadist in New York City, the Oklahoma City beheader, and more. But of course, it isn’t about jihadis at all. The FBI and DHS aren’t warning about lone wolf Islamic jihadists — rather, they’re concerned about violent attacks from adherents of the “Phineas Priest ideology.”

Which group is larger? The answer is obvious. But which group has powerful advocates within the Obama Administration?

Contrast this with the FBI taking down a poster of the Most Wanted Terrorists from Seattle buses after Muslims complained that those terrorists were all Muslims.

“FBI, DHS Issue Bulletin for Law Enforcement Warning of Lone Wolf Domestic Terrorism,” ABC News Radio, December 12, 2014:

(NEW YORK) — The FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have issued a bulletin to local law enforcement agencies around the nation, warning of the threat of lone-wolf domestic terrorists.

The bulletin referenced the Austin, Texas, shooting spree last month in which Larry McQuilliams fired over 100 rounds at a number of buildings, including a federal courthouse, a bank, the Consulate General of Mexico and the Austin Police Department headquarters. Law enforcement ultimately shot and killed McQuilliams.

According to the bulletin, McQuilliams “was at least partially inspired by the Phineas Priest ideology — which advocates lone offender action.” That ideology, expressed in a 1990 book titled Vigilantes of Christendom: The History of the Phineas Priesthood, was interpreted from the story of Phineas in chapter 25 of the biblical Book of Numbers to justify white supremacist violence, the bulletin says. The book was found in a rented van used by McQuilliams during his spree, along with a handwritten note in which he described himself as a member of the “priesthood.”

Law enforcement agencies are warned about the difficulty to identify and track followers of the idology [sic], as they do not rely on “collective resources of an organization with centralized leadership, formal membership, or a coordinating body that can be tracked or monitored by law enforcement.”

The bulletin cites other examples of criminal and terrorist incident tied to believers of the ideology. It also provides law enforcement with some things they can look out for.

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Jobs Report Not as Rosy as Touted
NEWSMAX

In a recent radio address following the release of November's job figures, President Obama touted the jobs report as proof that his economic policies are producing positive results.

But a closer look at those figures shows that serious problems in the jobs market remain.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) disclosed that the economy produced 321,000 new nonfarm jobs in November, more than many Wall Street analysts had predicted.

But the unemployment rate remained at 5.8 percent, and there were actually just 4,000 more Americans working compared to October since job gains were offset by Americans who became unemployed last month.

It also must be noted that the jobs created "skewed heavily toward lower quality," CNBC observed, and part-time positions rose by 77,000.

The BLS report also showed that families were under pressure. There were 110,000 fewer married men at work in November, and the number of married women at work declined by 59,000.

While the overall unemployment rate held steady, the rate for adult men rose and the rate for teenagers remained high at 17.7 percent.

The number of long-term unemployed — those jobless for 27 weeks or more — was little changed at 2.8 million in November, and accounted for 30.7 percent of all unemployed Americans.

The number of persons working part-time because their hours had been cut back or they were unable to find a full-time job stood at 6.9 million, little changed in November.

Also 2.1 million Americans were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the four weeks preceding the BLS survey.

More distressing news: While the BLS report cited 314,000 new private sector jobs in November, a report from the payroll management firm ADP showed just 208,000.

"Taken in total," CNBC concludes, "a peek beneath the hood of these numbers suggests a job market that still has a ways to go."

Dick Cheney Calls CIA Report “Full Of Crap” And Then Some Posted 

by: Javier Manjarres / The Shark Tank

The recently released Senate Democrat CIA report is “full of crap,” and a “terrible piece of work” that was “deeply flawed.”  Those were former Vice President Dick Cheney’s choice descriptions of the CIA report, whose release was supported by President Obama and his administration.

Cheney, or “Darth Vader” as he is referred to by many liberal Democrats, appeared on Fox News‘ “Special Report with Bret Baier,” and posed a very important question, I suspect is directed to the President himself.

“What are you prepared to do to get the truth against future attacks against the United States?”

Cheney also refuted claims that President George W. Bush was kept in the dark about the interrogations.

A Democrat-led Senate panel released a scathing report Tuesday on CIA interrogation practices amid warnings from lawmakers that the findings could “endanger the lives of Americans” — a concern the Obama administration apparently shared as it put more than 6,000 Marines overseas on high alert.

The report, from the Senate intelligence committee, claimed the interrogation techniques used were “brutal and far worse” than the CIA represented to lawmakers. Further, the report claimed the tactics were not effective and the spy agency gave “inaccurate” information about it to Congress and the White House.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the head of the intelligence panel who ordered the release of the report, alleged on the Senate floor on Tuesday that the CIA techniques in some cases amounted to “torture.”

“History will judge us by our commitment to a just society governed by law and the willingness to face an ugly truth and say ‘never again’,” she said on the floor. “There may never be the right time to release this report. … But this report is too important to shelve indefinitely.”

Again, advanced interrogation techniques, torture, or whatever you want to call them, work.

Read more at http://shark-tank.com/2014/12/11/dick-cheney-calls-cia-report-full-of-crap-and-then-some/